General Information

Director: Bill Kopp and Pat Ventura

Writer: Bill Kopp

Cast: John Kassir, Bobcat Goldthwait, Cam Clarke, Charlie Adler, Brad Garrett, Cory Barton, Jim Cummings, and John Kassir

Composer: Nathan Wang

Air Date: 7/19/1996

Overview

When the Big Bad Wolf (Bobcat Goldthwait) slaughters Drinky Pig (Brad Garrett) and Smokey Pig (Charlie Adler), Dudley (Cam Clarke)—the third pig—is convicted of murder. Thereafter, Dudley—assisted by the ghosts of his dead brothers—builds a “Frankenpig” to exact revenge on the wolf.

The final episode of Tales from the Crypt, “The Third Pig” may appeal to diehard series enthusiasts. Casual viewers, in contrast, may wish to avoid this poorly animated, uninspired effort at all costs.

Pros

In the opening segment, the Crypt Keeper interviews a vampire for a writing position on Tales from the Crypt—a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that by 1996, nearly every worthwhile story from the source comics (Haunt of Fear, Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, and several others) had already been utilized in prior episodes.

Cons

A morbid reimagining of The Three Little Pigs, this offering contains all the elements of a spooky, Halloween-themed children’s cartoon: a ravenous wolf, a mad scientist, and a Frankenstein monster. Nevertheless, The Third Pig relies on copious gore, crude humor, and sexual innuendoes as opposed to clever and original storytelling, likely preventing young audiences and mature horror fans alike from enjoying this episode.

Also problematic is that The Third Pig lacks a coherent and well-developed narrative, instead jumping from one random plot point to the next. (Those who appreciate the gory and surreal animation of Superjail! may, however, view the above shortcoming as a positive factor.)

Analysis

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Concluding Comments

“The Third Pig” is a bizarre, low-brow piece of experimental comedy. Sophisticated horror buffs may therefore choose to forgo this episode, which offers a juvenile twist on a classic fable.

Overall Quality: 2/10

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